U.S. patent application number 15/615445 was filed with the patent office on 2017-12-07 for manufacturing electrosurgical instruments.
The applicant listed for this patent is Gyrus Medical Limited. Invention is credited to Neill Tomas Brennan.
Application Number | 20170348045 15/615445 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56508181 |
Filed Date | 2017-12-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170348045 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brennan; Neill Tomas |
December 7, 2017 |
MANUFACTURING ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
Abstract
A pair of jaw members for an electrosurgical instrument is
manufactured by providing first and second jaw members (2 & 3),
each jaw member including a planar sealing surface (5 & 7). The
jaw members are assembled with the first and second jaw members in
a required orientation such that the planar sealing surface (5) of
the first jaw member (2) is at a predetermined orientation with
respect to the sealing surface (7) of the second jaw member (3).
The first and second jaw members are held in the required
orientation, and pivot holes (11 & 12) are formed in the first
and second jaw members while they are held in the required
orientation. When a pivot pin is inserted through the pivot holes
in the first and second jaw members, the first and second jaw
members are assembled into a pair of jaws.
Inventors: |
Brennan; Neill Tomas;
(Cardiff, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gyrus Medical Limited |
Cardiff |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
56508181 |
Appl. No.: |
15/615445 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 2090/034 20160201;
A61B 2018/0063 20130101; A61B 2017/00526 20130101; A61B 2017/2947
20130101; A61B 18/1445 20130101; A61B 2017/2936 20130101; A61B
17/29 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61B 18/14 20060101
A61B018/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 7, 2016 |
GB |
1609915.2 |
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a pair of jaws for an electrosurgical
instrument, comprising the steps of: manufacturing first and second
jaw members, each jaw member including a planar sealing surface,
assembling the first and second jaw members in a required
orientation such that the planar sealing surface of the first jaw
member is at a predetermined orientation with respect to the
sealing surface of the second jaw member, holding the first and
second jaw members in the required orientation, forming a pivot
hole in the first and second jaw members while they are held in the
required orientation, and inserting a pivot pin through the pivot
hole in the first and second jaw members to assemble the first and
second jaw members into a pair of jaws.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the required orientation
is such that the planar sealing surface of the first jaw member is
parallel to the planar sealing surface of the second jaw
member.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the pivot hole is formed
in the first and second jaw members in a single operation.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming the
pivot hole comprises drilling through the first and second jaw
members with a drill bit.
5. A method according to claim 1, including the initial steps of
forming an initial hole in the first and second jaw members before
the assembly step, and filling the holes with a softer material
before assembling the first and second jaw members.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the step of forming the
pivot hole in the first and second jaw members while they are held
in the required orientation comprises forming the hole through the
softer material.
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the diameter of the pivot
hole is less than the diameter of the initial hole in each of the
first and second jaw members.
8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the softer material is a
polymeric material.
9. A method of manufacturing a pair of jaws for an electrosurgical
instrument, comprising the steps of: manufacturing first and second
jaw members, each jaw member including a planar sealing surface,
and an initial pivot hole, filling the initial pivot hole in each
of the first and second jaw members with a softer material,
assembling the first and second jaw members in a required
orientation such that the planar sealing surface of the first jaw
member is at a predetermined orientation with respect to the
sealing surface of the second jaw member, holding the first and
second jaw members in the required orientation, forming a final
pivot hole in the softer material while the first and second jaw
members are held in the required orientation, and inserting a pivot
pin through the final pivot hole in the first and second jaw
members to assemble the first and second jaw members into a pair of
jaws.
10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the diameter of the
final pivot hole is less than the diameter of the initial pivot
hole in each of the first and second jaw members.
11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the softer material is a
polymeric material.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of United Kingdom Patent
Application Serial No. 1609915.2, filed Jun. 7, 2016, the entire
contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of this invention relate to a method for
manufacturing a pair of jaw members for an electrosurgical
instrument, particularly a forceps instrument for sealing tissue.
Such systems are commonly used for the treatment of tissue in
surgical intervention, most commonly in "keyhole" or minimally
invasive surgery, but also in "open" surgery.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART
[0003] It is known to manufacture jaw members for electrosurgical
instruments by an overmoulding process, in which components are
assembled into a mould and flowable material is introduced into the
mould to surround the components and form the completed jaw member.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,150,097 & 7,922,953 are examples of such
manufacturing methods. However, unless the manufacturing tolerances
for the jaws are strictly controlled, there is a chance that when
the jaws are assembled together to form a pair of jaws, the
tissue-contacting surface on one jaw may not be exactly in the
required orientation with respect to the tissue-contacting surface
on the other jaw.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Embodiments of the present invention attempt to avoid the
above problem.
[0005] Accordingly, a method for manufacturing a pair of jaws for
an electrosurgical instrument, comprises the steps of:
[0006] manufacturing first and second jaw members, each jaw member
including a planar sealing surface,
[0007] assembling the first and second jaw members in a required
orientation such that the planar sealing surface of the first jaw
member is at a predetermined orientation with respect to the
sealing surface of the second jaw member,
[0008] holding the first and second jaw members in the required
orientation,
[0009] forming a pivot hole in the first and second jaw members
while they are held in the required orientation, and
[0010] inserting a pivot pin through the pivot hole in the first
and second jaw members to assemble the first and second jaw members
into a pair of jaws.
[0011] By assembling the jaws into a required orientation before
forming the pivot hole in both jaw members, it ensures that when
the jaws are assembled with the pivot pin through the pivot holes,
the jaw members will lie with respect to one another in the
aforesaid required orientation. Preferably, the required
orientation is such that the planar sealing surface of the first
jaw member is parallel to the planar sealing surface of the second
jaw member.
[0012] Typically, the pivot hole is formed in the first and second
jaw members in a single operation, with the forming member passing
through both jaw members as they are held one against the other.
The step of forming the pivot hole preferably comprises drilling
through the first and second jaw members with a drill bit. To
maintain the jaw members in their required orientation, they are
typically clamped together while the drilling is being carried out.
In this arrangement, the formed pivot holes are of a diameter only
slightly larger than the pivot pin, such that the pin can pass
through the pivot holes, but with limited clearance such that the
slack does not allow any significant variation in the orientation
of one jaw member with respect to the other.
[0013] According to an alternative arrangement, the method includes
the initial steps of forming an initial hole in the first and
second jaw members before the assembly step, and filling the holes
with a softer material before assembling the first and second jaw
members. By "softer material", this material is relatively soft as
compared with the material from which the remainder of the jaw
members, typically stainless steel, is formed. According to this
arrangement, the step of forming the pivot hole in the first and
second jaw members while they are held in the required orientation
comprises forming the hole through the softer material. Typically,
the diameter of the pivot hole is less than the diameter of the
initial hole in each of the first and second jaw members. In this
way, a relatively large hole is initially formed in the jaw
members, these holes are filled with the softer material, and the
final pivot hole is then formed through the softer material when
the jaw members are held in their required orientation. This means
that the drilling, or other means of hole formation, is carried out
through the softer material rather than through the metallic
material of the jaw members themselves. Thus, the hole formation
during the time that the jaw members are clamped together is made
easier. Typically, this softer material is a polymeric material,
such as polypropylene.
[0014] Embodiments of the invention further reside in a method of
manufacturing a pair of jaws for an electrosurgical instrument,
comprising the steps of:
[0015] manufacturing first and second jaw members, each jaw member
including a planar sealing surface, and an initial pivot hole,
[0016] filling the initial pivot hole in each of the first and
second jaw members with a softer material,
[0017] assembling the first and second jaw members in a required
orientation such that the planar sealing surface of the first jaw
member is at a predetermined orientation with respect to the
sealing surface of the second jaw member,
[0018] holding the first and second jaw members in the required
orientation,
[0019] forming a final pivot hole in the softer material while the
first and second jaw members are held in the required orientation,
and
[0020] inserting a pivot pin through the final pivot hole in the
first and second jaw members to assemble the first and second jaw
members into a pair of jaws.
[0021] As described previously, the diameter of the final pivot
hole is typically less than the diameter of the initial pivot hole
in each of the first and second jaw members. As before, the softer
material is typically a polymeric material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Embodiments of the invention will now be further described,
by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a pair of jaws as part of
a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present
invention,
[0024] FIG. 2 is a side view of the jaws of FIG. 1 shown in a
subsequent manufacturing step,
[0025] FIG. 3 is a side view of the jaws of FIGS. 1 & 2 shown
in a further manufacturing step,
[0026] FIG. 4 is a side view of a pair of jaws as part of an
alternative embodiment of manufacturing method according to the
present invention,
[0027] FIG. 5 is a side view of the jaws of FIG. 4 shown in a
subsequent manufacturing step,
[0028] FIG. 6 is a side view of the jaws of FIGS. 4 & 5 shown
in a further manufacturing step, and
[0029] FIG. 7 is a side view of the jaws of FIGS. 4 to 6 shown in a
subsequent manufacturing step.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, an end effector shown generally at 1
comprises an upper jaw 2 and a lower jaw 3. Upper jaw 2 has a jaw
body 4 and a substantially planar tissue sealing surface 5, while
lower jaw 3 has a jaw body 6 and a corresponding planar tissue
sealing surface 7. The sealing surfaces 5 & 7 are substantially
parallel one to the other, and are separated by a plurality of stop
members 8 located on one or both of the jaws.
[0031] Lower jaw body 6 is provided with an angled cam slot 9,
while upper jaw body 6 has a corresponding oppositely angled cam
slot 10, shown in dotted line detail. The jaws 2 & 3 are shown
in FIG. 1 located together in a desired orientation with the
sealing surfaces 5 & 7 parallel to one another, but the jaws
are not at this stage connected to each other.
[0032] The jaws 2 & 3 are shown in FIG. 2 clamped in position,
with clamps (not shown) engaging the jaw bodies 4 & 6 to hold
them in the desired position. While clamped in position, a drill
bit (not shown) drills a pivot hole 11 in jaw body 6, as shown in
FIG. 3. The drill bit continues through jaw body 6 to drill a
corresponding pivot hole 12 (though not directly visible in FIG. 3
as behind hole 11) in the jaw body 4. Pivot holes 11 & 12 are
aligned such that when a pivot pin (not shown) is inserted through
holes 11 & 12 the jaws 2 & 3 are assembled in their desired
orientation with the sealing surfaces 5 & 7 parallel to one
another.
[0033] FIG. 4 shows an alternative arrangement in which the jaws 2
& 3 are shown as before, with sealing surfaces 5 & 7 shown
parallel one to another. The jaws of FIG. 4 are different from
those of FIG. 1 in that they have been pre-drilled with initial
large diameter holes 13 & 14. The jaws 2 & 3 are then
placed into moulds and injection moulded such that the holes 13
& 14 are filled with a polymeric material to form polypropylene
inserts 15, as shown in FIG. 5. Once the polypropylene material of
the inserts 15 has hardened, the jaws are clamped in position as
before, as shown in FIG. 6. While clamped in position, a drill bit
(not shown) drills a pivot hole 16 through the polypropylene insert
15 in the lower jaw body 6, as shown in FIG. 7. The drill bit then
continues through jaw body 6 to drill a corresponding pivot hole 17
(again not directly visible in FIG. 7 as behind hole 16) through
the insert 15 in the jaw body 4. As the drill bit is drilling
through polymeric material rather than through the metallic jaw
bodies, the process is easier and with less vibration. Once again,
pivot holes 16 & 17 are aligned such that when a pivot pin (not
shown) is inserted through holes 16 & 17 the jaws 2 & 3 are
assembled in their desired orientation with the sealing surfaces 5
& 7 parallel to one another.
[0034] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications
to the above can be made without departing from the scope of the
present invention, and that alternative configurations of
components can be employed. For example, although the desired
orientation of the sealing surfaces 5 & 7 in the illustrated
embodiments is with the sealing surfaces parallel to one another,
this may not necessarily be the case. There may be circumstances
where a desired orientation is with the sealing surfaces not
parallel, but with the jaws 2 & 3 either "toed-in" (such that
the distance between the sealing surfaces is greater towards the
rear of the jaws as compared with the front), or "toed-out" (such
that the distance between the sealing surfaces is greater towards
the front of the jaws as compared with the rear). The key element
is the formation of the pivot holes with the jaws already in their
desired orientation, as opposed to pre-forming the pivot holes and
then assembling the jaws.
* * * * *